Fire-escape.



I. R. MCCLYMONDS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, IsIe.

2 SHEETS-SHEET-2.

Patented Aug. 28, 19177 @511 24M v l afro: uc I.,

ENCE.

JOHN IR. MCCLYMONDS, OF PORTERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application led February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79,701.

To all 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. MCCLY- Monts, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portersville, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in hire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire escapes.

The object of my invention is to provide a fire escape which can be readily applied to the outside of a building and comprising a vertically movable car adapted to travel dowinvardly when loaded and to automatically return to the top of a building when unloaded.

Another object of my invention is to provide an effective hre escape of this character having certain details of structure and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth.

1n the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a front view of a building showing my fire escape applied thereto, and the car at the top of the building in its normal position;

Fig; 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the line 2v2 of Fig. 1, and showing the column partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2;

Fig. -1 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1 4: of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figa;

G is a vertical sectional view of the column showing the joint between the several sections of which it is composed and also showing the weights in position.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the building to which my improved lire escape is to be attached and in which the windows are arranged one above the other. Secured to the side of the building adjacent the windows are the brackets 2, in which is arranged a vertically disposed column 3, which is preferably made in sections, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the said sections joined together by couplings 4, shown in Fig. G of the drawings. This column eXtends up in a line with or above the window at the top story of the building. The brackets 2 surround the column and at their outer faces are provided with outwardly extending portions 5 which support the vertically disposed track or rail 6. This rail 6 extends upwardly to the top of the column 3. Supported by the upper end of the column 3 and the track or rail 6 is a housing 7 which has a laterally turned portion 8 secured to the building. Mounted within the housing 7 is a shaft 9 carrying a pulley 10, the inner face of the pulley being in a line directly over the center of the column 3.

The rail G, as shown in Fig. d of the drawing, is preferably T-shape and the outer face thereof is in the form of a rack indicated at 12. The two arms 13 and 14 of the rail are each provided with outwardly eX- tending tracks 15, 16 and 17, as fully shown in Fig. 4; of the drawings.

The vertically movable car 1S is of a. rectangular form, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and has its inner side left completely open, so that persons may enter the car from the windows at the different floors, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The Hoor 19 of the car has a cut-away portion 2O around which there is arranged a housing 21. This housing extends vertically within the car and is provided at its upper and lower ends with three groove wheels 22, 23 and 24: adapted to engage the three tracks 15, 16 and 17, so that any lateral movement of the car is prevented and to insure a vertical movement of the car in its travel. The housing 21 on its outer face is provided with bearings 25, in which is mounted a shaft 2G carrying a gear 27 passing through an opening 2S in the housing and meshing with the rack 12. The outer end of the shaft 26 on each side of the housing 21 is provided with drums 29 and 30 around which are arranged the brake bands 31 and 32. One end of the brake band is secured to the Hoor at 33 and the opposite end secured to a crank 34 carried by a shaft 35 rotatably mounted in the floor of the car. The shaft 35 has a lever 3G rigidly secured thereto and carries a catch 37 adapted to lock on the segmental rack 38, so that the brake band is held in its tightened position on the drum.

The upper end of the housing 21 has secured thereto a supporting bracket 39 which has its upper end turned inwardly at 40 and secured thereto is a cable 11. This cable extends upwardly over the pulley 10 and downwardly through the column 3 and is attached to the rod d2 upon which are arranged the weights 43. IThese weights are removable from the rod 42, so that the desired number may be placed on the rod to overbalance the weight of the car 1S and its operator, so that the car is normally held in its upward position at the top of Jthe buildino.

The operation of the device is as follows: The car being in its position at the top ot the building the operator iirst enters the car through the window and throws the lever 36 to tighten the brake band, so that the car is locked in said position. Any number of persons can then enter the car and after it is lled, the lever is slightly released and the weight ot the occupants of the car causes it to travel downwardly. rifhe downward movement of the car is garferned by the operator through the brake band and thus the car is allowed to gradually travel to the ground. Surrounding the column on the ground is a plattform held upwardly by springs 45 and upon which the car settles in its downward movement, and thus prevents any jar to the car. The persons in the car are discharged through the door il-(i and the weights 43 having traveled upwardly in the downward movement of the car will cause the car to travel upwardly carrying with it the operator. The weights, as heretofore described, overbalance the weight of the car and the operator can govern the upward movement of the car and stop it at any floor desired to take on persons, but after taking on any person or persons he can not then travel upwardly but must descend.

lVhile I have shown this speciiic construction and arrangement of parts, it will be understood that I do not care to limit Mmyself to this as the same could be varied without departing from my i vention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The combination with a building, of a column supported by the cute 1 tace thereof, a T-shaped track supported by the column and spaced therefrom, a pulley supported by the upper end of the column and track, a car surrounding the column and track, a cable secured to the car and passing upwardly over the pulley and downwardly through the column, weights removably supported by the lower end of the cable tor counterbalancing the weight of the car, wheels carried by the car and engaging four sides of the track for holding the car against lateral movement in any direction, a rack on the track, a gear on the car meshing with the rack, and a. brake mechanism connected with the gear for controlling the movement of the car.

In testimory whereof I hereby aflix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

JOHN R. MCCLYMONDS.

lVitnesses WM. H UMPHREY, J. R. HUMPHREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

